Someday...
In the meantime I fulfill my foodie fantasies by watching Cupcake Wars, Chopped and writing Romance novels about hot and sexy chefs. You can't wait to read them, I know. I swear I'll let you know the second they are available.
Turns out, I've got a connection into the hot world of cooking show chefs.
Earlier this week I went to a Denver Five (Colorado's elite team of tastemakers - awesome) event at Balistreri Vinyards.
When we were perusing the information about the event one of the chef's names jumped out at me. "Look," I said to my sister. "One of the chefs is Jenna Johansen. I went to school with a girl named that. I wonder... no, couldn't be, I think she got married, so her name wouldn't be Johansen any more."
We dressed up for the evening and headed over to the fancy new Balistreri building. Two minutes after walking in the door, and grabbing and amazing cocktail with strawberry and cucumber a chef whizzed past me on her way into the kitchen. The flash of white chef coat stopped, turned and said "Amy Denim?"
OMG. It was Jenna Johansen.
Quick story - When I was in high school I was abso-freakin'-lutely positive that Jenna coined the phrase 'Cool Beans.' Actually, I'm still pretty sure she did.
Anyway. Jenna is not only a tastemaker (read: superfantastalistic chef) she also is in Bravo's upcoming reality show Around the World in 80 Plates.
What?!
Brilliant.
I chatted a bit with Jenna and her fiance Mark where I found out he is a fancy schmancy salami maker and proposed to Jenna with a ring made of his own recipe. They keep it in the freezer. I can't wait to see it.
I was so inspired by Jenna and Mark, I immediately started plotting a novel in my head inspired by the meat ring. I can hardly wait to write it and dedicate it to them.
I thought today, in honor of my exciting night spent with the Denver Five I'd search up and find some free foodie books for you all today.
Some are cookbooks, some are non-fiction and one is even a novel.
Click on the covers to download them from Amazon, and remember to check the prices before you one-click.
Cook Books:
These all have great reviews on Amazon
Non Fiction Foodie Books:
A Romance writer, wandering winos and a fast food exec. Sounds like my 1990s.
How not to Run a B&B
Bobby Hutchinson, a best selling Harlequin writer decides to open a B&B in Vancouver, B.C. when sales of romance novels falter. Despite never having stayed in a B&B and knowing absolutely nothing about running one, she jumps right in. Strange people from nearby and halfway around the world arrive at her home with their stories and struggles, not to mention their baggage, psychological and otherwise.
Each chapter is peppered with a humor, a little tragedy and many life lessons (but mostly humor.) There are sure fire breakfast recipes guaranteed to turn out even if the cook is half asleep.'
In explaining why she opened a B&B, she says, "I was far too old for prostitution, the only other job I could think of which might net enough to pay the mortgage."
Wanderlust Wining:
New York: The Outdoorsy Oenophile's Wine Country Companion
Wanderlust Wining New York is a fun, delicious journey through many of New York’s finest wine countries; exploring their outdoor activities and wine tasting specialties. It’s a one-stop-read to crafting active wine tasting trips in unique (and familiar) wine countries all over New York.Discover how to kick off mornings with action-packed activities and spend the remainder of the day sniffing, swirling and sipping through local wineries. Learn how to taste wine like a pro and be in the “local know” about the best hiking and mountain biking trails or places to paddle, surf and sail. Visit creameries, galleries or savor a sustainable wine dinner served in the middle of a vineyard.
Each fast-paced, easy-to-understand chapter offers light-handed wine education and historic facts about the area’s wines, local parks and sports outfitter, “must-go” restaurants, art galleries, markets, vineyards, and more.
Five Loaves, Two Fishes and Six Chicken Nuggets
Barry Gibbons was the global head of the Burger King empire for a decade or so, if you can imagine a Brit heading an American company. Five Loaves, Two Fishes and Six Chicken Nuggets (Bright 'I's) is a series of hysterically funny essays he's written over several years, based mostly on his experience in the fast food industry.
Full of both wit and wisdom, this is prime reading material for anyone involved in business - any business. Branding, marketing and stretch limousines are all fair game for Barry's pen
Fiction
Okay, so this is only loosely foodie inspired. He goes and works in the family winemaking biz.
Sin and Vengence
When his knee shatters on the playing field, Charlie Marston is plunged into turmoil. The fallen college superstar joins the family winemaking business, but working alongside his parents is not the future he had planned. He escapes work whenever he can and soon finds a new friend named Randy Black. Randy is part stunt-pilot, part Casanova, and part drunken Pied Piper. Randy introduces Charlie to Deirdre Deudon, the provocative wife of a French farmer. They come together in an ill-conceived stunt that explodes into consequences that chase Charlie and Randy back home to Massachusetts and change Deirdre's life forever. The after-effects of this tragic mistake bind the three of them together and threaten everything they hold dear.
Let me know which books you download and I'll tweet out the reader/author/foodie love.
Enjoy.
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